Micro switches are electric switches that are actuated by very little physical force, through the use of a tipping-point mechanism, sometimes called an "over-center" mechanism. Switching happens reliably at specific and repeatable positions of the actuator, which is not necessarily true of other mechanisms. Micro switches are very common due to their low cost and durability, greater than 1 million cycles and up to 10 million cycles for heavy duty models. Micro switches's durability is a natural consequence of the design.

DIP switches are manual electric switches that are packaged with others in a group in a standard dual in-line package (DIP). The term may refer to each individual switch, or to the unit as a whole. DIP switches are designed to be used on a printed circuit board along with other electronic components and are commonly used to customize the behavior of an electronic device for specific situations.

DIP switches are an alternative to jumper blocks. Their main advantages are that they are quicker to change and there are no parts to lose.

Push switches are momentary or non-latching switch which causes a temporary change in the state of an electrical circuit only while push switches are physically actuated. An automatic mechanism (ie a spring) returns the push switches to their default position immediately afterwards, restoring the initial circuit condition.